PROJECT

The Numazu Club Inheritance Project began at the initiative of Kaoru Hayashi, with the socially beneficial goal to preserve a unique piece of Japanese cultural heritage in Shizuoka Prefecture, share its value with Japanese and foreign people, and pass it down to the next generation. The project was initiated by Kaoru Hayashi, Joichi Ito, Taichiro Motoe, and Teruhide Sato, together with prominent advisors from various fields and GREENING Co., Ltd. in charge of operations.

The history of Numazu Club dates back to 1913, when Zenbe Miwa, the second generation of Mitsuwa Soap, built the sukiya-style “Shogantei” as his villa. The building, now a registered tangible cultural property, consists of elegant Japanese-style rooms, a tea-ceremony room with a three-tatami-mat floor that was relocated from Kyoto, and a lounge featuring a blend of Japanese and Western elements. The interior design features windows with blown glass and a large wickerwork ceiling that cannot be recreated with modern techniques.

During the war, it was confiscated by the War Ministry, and furthermore, after the war, it was placed under the control of the Ministry of Finance. The mayor of Numazu acquired the building and established Numazu Club as an association. Discussions about war reconstruction were held in the teahouse. Amid the ruined city, Numazu Club became a center of the local political scene as the only traditional restaurant that could entertain guests.

During the war, Numazu Club was confiscated by the War Ministry, and after the war, it was placed under the control of the Ministry of Finance. At the request of the then-mayor of Numazu, the building was repurchased with investment from volunteers and Numazu Club was established as an association. Surviving the war, Numazu Club is said to have flourished as a base for post-war political activities and as a restaurant, taking advantage of its playful and extravagant space.

After more than half a century, the building began to show its age beginning in the 1980s. The restaurant was forced to close when it became difficult to continue operations. In 2008, Masahito Kitayama, the president of the previous operator Project N, committed his support “to preserve the building as a cultural asset for the future.” The new operator restored damaged components while seeking to “preserve everything that could be preserved,” and constructed a villa to accommodate visitors, designed by architect Akira Watanabe, adjacent to the original building. The facility was reborn as Senbonmatsu Numazu Club and was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2015 for its historical and artistic value.

In 2022, after 14 years of management by Project N, the property’s future was entrusted to the Inheritance Project team led by Kaoru Hayashi, Joichi Ito, Taichiro Motoe, Teruhide Sato, and numerous advisors. A new chapter of Numazu Club began in June 2023, carrying on Kitayama’s wish to preserve a piece of Numazu’s culture for future generations, passing down and sharing the value of this historic architectural masterpiece.